Meat pickling machines and the like

ABSTRACT

A meat pickling machine of the type wherein the meat body is advanced either continuously or intermittently past a pickling stage where a pickling needle is driven up and down to pierce the body being pickled, such needle being provided with a longitudinally extending pickling liquid supply passage terminating in a tapered and pointed lower end, such passage being connected to a source of pickling fluid which is delivered out from such longitudinal needle passage through one or more lateral openings of the needle during the interval of pierce of the meat body by such needle, provision being made for return of the needle to its non-piercing position after each piercing and liquid delivering operation preparatory to the succeeding operation, the present improvements concerning structural and operational features of the piercing needle and the cylinder wherein it operates and the manner wherein such operations are produced.

I United States Patent [151 3,677,169 Francis [4 July 18, 1972 [54] MEAT PICKLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Primary Examiner-Robert w. Jenkins Assistant Examiner-Arthur 0. Henderson [72] Inventor: Joseph S. Frauds, 1057 E. 161st St., 1* Banning, Jr

South Holland, Ill. 60473 a 22 Filed: Nov. 4, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] Appl N03 86,725 A meat pickling machine of the type wherein themeat body isadvanced either continuously or intermittently past a pickling stage where a pickling needle is driven up and down to pierce 52] U,S, Cl 99/256 the body being pickled, such needle being provided with a lon- [51] Int. Cl. ..A23b 1/16 gitudinally extending pickling liquid supply passage terminat- [58] Field of Search ..99/256, 257,159,222; g in a tapered and pointed lower n h p g ing 128/214, 215, 216, 224, 234, 235 connected to a source of pickling fluid which is delivered out from such longitudinal needle passage throughone or more 5 R f e Cited lateral openings of the needle during the interval of pierce of the meat body by such needle, provision being made for return UNITED STATES PATENTS of the needle to its non-piercing position after each piercing and ii uid deliver-in o ration re arator to the succeedin 2,290,363 7/1942 sum ..99/256 ux opmgon, the i fi g f cogceming New; 2,645,171 Moreland and operational features of the p g needle and the 2,670,673 3/1954 Gordon CI ...99/257 cylinder wherein it operates and the manner wherein such 3,344,731 10/1967 Trees ..99/257 operations are produced 3,428,000 2/1969 Gagnon.. 99/256 X 9/1970 Peters ..99/256 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PICKLE PRESSURE Al? DRIVE MEAT PICKLING MACHINES AND THE LIKE This invention relates to improvements in pickling machines for introducing pickling liquid into the bodies of meats or other food products. Specifically the present improvements concern pickling machines and operations adapted for relatively large pickling bodies wherein the pickling operation is of magnitude such that the pickling operation may well be done by a power drive unit. To this end the present disclosures include power drive operations by piston drive of a piston working in a cylinder of convenient size and control. Under such conditions a pickling drive unit is provided of structure such that by a single operation the needle or penetrating element of the structure is driven by piston drive produced by the pickling liquid pressure of the pickling liquid thus simultaneously forcing the needle into the body being pickled and at the same time causing the pickling liquid to be introduced forcibly into the body being treated.

Specifically, the invention relates to provision of a machine of the type above described, which machine is self-contained in the form of a cylinder into which the pickling liquid is introduced, the piston which works in such cylinder provided with a piston rod of hollow form, the bore of such piston rod serving to carry pickling liquid from the body of the cylinder to one or more orifices of size adapted to ensure delivery of the pickling liquid in distributed manner and directions such as to distribute the pickling liquid in various directions throughout the body being treated. Thus the delivery of pickling liquid under pressure into the cylinder serves to both drive the piston rod into the treated body, and at the same time serves to cause delivery of the pickling liquid into the body in a well distributed and substantially uniform amount throughout the body being treated. Return of the piston to its starting or initial position during or after a pickling operation may be produced in various manners as will be seen from the disclosure hereinafter revealed.

In the drawing;

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of one embodiment of my present structures, the penetrating piston being shown in extended position and in penetration engagement with the body being treated;

FIG. 2 shows a partial section similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but in FIG. 2 I have included a check-valve arrangement to partially control reverse flow of the pickling liquid during or after a pickling operation has been completed;

FIG. 3 shows a partial section through another modified embodiment, wherein provision is made for positively returning the piston and its piston rod to their initial or starting position;

FIG. 4 is a top view of each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through each of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, taken on tile lines 5-5 of such Figures;

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through another modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a cross-section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to FIG. 1, above the conveyor or carrier 10, supporting the meat or other body to be treated, 11. Such carrier may be advanced either intermittently or continuously, carrying the meat body along in the direction of the arrow, 12. Above the carrier and above the meat body supported by such carrier, is the cylindrical unit 13; Within such cylindrical unit is the plunger or piston element 14 reciprocable up and down away from and towards the carrier. Such piston element is provided with the downwardly extending hollow rod 15 of which the lower end is preferably pointed as shown for ready penetration into the body to be treated. The bore 16 of such hollow rod 15 communicates through the numerous small orifices 17 to the exterior of the rod, so that when the rod is penetrated into the body to be treated, the pickling material or liquid may be discharged through such orifices into the body being treated. The orifices are therefore well spaced around and along the rod, but since most if not all of the pickling liquid is to be delivered into the meat body well downward of its thickness, most of such orifices will be located along the lower portion of the rod l3.

Pickling liquid is introduced into the cylinder 13 through the tubular element 18 under such hydrostatic pressure as may be required for production of the desired pickling operation. The bore or passage through the rod 15 communicates directly with the interior of the cylinder 13 so that pressure delivery of the pickling liquid from the tube 18 will, afier substantially filling the cylinder, serve to ensure delivery of such liquid down through the plunger or piston element 14 and through the tube 15, and out through the orifices 17 into the body being treated. It is noted, therefore, that continued supply of the pickling liquid under pressure, from the tube 18, will not only serve to force the plunger 14, and rod 15, down into the treated body, but that such treatment will commence at or near the top surface of the treated body, and will continue during the forced descent of the plunger until arrested by some obstruction contained in or proximate to the treated body. Thus the continued delivery of the pickling liquid will cause delivery of such liquid continuously from the successive orifices 17, into successive locations of the treated body, measured downwardly as the plunger 14 and tube descend, due to continued supply of the pickling liquid under pressure to such tube 14. This operation continues during transit of the plunger 14 from top to bottom of the cylinder 13. During this operation the cylinder 13 may remain stationary, the operation of delivery of the pickling liquid being produced by continuous delivery of additional such liquid from and through the tube 18.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the delivery of the liquid from the cylinder I9 is produced by lowering of such cylinder bodily with its delivery tube 20 in engagement with the treated body (not shown). In this arrangement the ball check valve 21 prevents return discharge of the pickling liquid through the tube 22 from which such liquid was derived, such tube 22 preferably comprising a flexible element. The arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1; but provision has been made in such FIG. 3 arrangement for supply of an operational liquid through the tube 23 to the lower end portion of the cylinder, to drive the plunger [4 upwardly after completion of a pickling operation, with corresponding rise of the plunger, assuming that the cylinder remains stationary. It is noted that in each of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the stem or hollow delivery tube 16, or 20, or 24 communicates with the cylinder space above the plunger, so that relative movement of the cylinder and its plunger for reducing the cylinder space above such plunger is produced during the pickling liquid delivery operation. Such relative movement may be conveniently produced by movement of the cylinder itself, assuming that the lower end of the tubular element is engaged with the treated body, either directly or through the medium of a flexible tube. However, in the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, operational fluid operational fluid supplied through the connection 23 may produce the desired up movement of the plunger without corresponding movement, or lowering movement of the cylinder.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 6 includes the upwardly extending hollow rod 25, of which the upper end connects to the flexible supply hose 26 through which the pickling liquid is supplied under pressure from a suitable source. The bore 27 of such rod 25 connects to the tubular element 28 by which the pickling liquid is delivered to the body being treated. The rod 25 connects to the plunger 30. An air drive connection 30a is provided, by which connection air under pressure may be admitted to the space above the plunger. Downward movement of the plunger is limited by the stop ring 31 secured to the lower portion of the cylinder 32.

Each of the units shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6, includes means to deliver the pickling liquid under pressure into the body of meat or other material being treated; and it is noted that each such unit is a self-contained structure, readily moved into position for treatment of the material being acted on, the conduit 18 (or 22) being a flexible hose or other position adjustable unit, thus enabling ready shift of the pickling unit from position to position, with constant supply of the pickling liquid to various parts or areas of the body being treated, or to various bodies within a convenient area of treatment operations.

I claim: I

1. A pickling unit for delivery of pickling liquid into a body to be pickled; said pickling unit comprising a cylinder, a plunger longitudinally movable in said cylinder, a hollow body piercing rod connected to and movable with the plunger, a pickling liquid supply conduit connected to and extending from the plunger in axial direction opposite to the hollow body piercing rod, and out through the end of the cylinder, together with a drive fluid supply connection to the interior of the cylinder at a location above the plunger and constituted to deliver drive fluid into the cylinder space above the plunger.

2. A pickling unit for delivery of pickling liquid into a body to be pickled; said unit comprising a cylinder, a plunger longitudinally movable in said cylinder, a hollow body piercing rod connected to and movable with the plunger, wherein the pickling liquid conduit of said body piercing rod is in pickling liquid supply connection with a source of pickling liquid and is isolated from the space within the cylinder and above the plunger during full movements of the plunger and said body piercing rod, together with a drive fluid connection to the in terior of the cylinder at a location above the plunger.

I! t l 

1. A pickling unit for delivery of pickling liquid into a body to be pickled; said pickling unit comprising a cylinder, a plunger longitudinally movable in said cylinder, a hollow body piercing rod connected to and movable with the plunger, a pickling liquid supply conduit connected to and extending from the plunger in axial direction opposite to the hollow body piercing rod, and out through the end of the cylinder, together with a drive fluid supply connection to the interior of the cylinder at a location above the plunger and constituted to deliver drive fluid into the cylinder space above the plunger.
 2. A pickling unit for delivery of pickling liquid into a body to be pickled; said unit comprising a cylinder, a plunger longitudinally movable in said cylinder, a hollow body piercing rod connected to and movable with the plunger, wherein the pickling liquid conduit of said body piercing rod is in pickling liquid supply connection with a source of pickling liquid and is isolated from the space within the cylinder and above the plunger during full movements of the plunger and said body piercing rod, together with a drive fluid connection to the interior of the cylinder at a location above the plunger. 